Such a Phlirt K9 Fina retires, making way for new police dog

ROCHESTER — After leading to more than 75 arrests in her nine years of service with the Police Department, 10-year-old police K9 Fina has retired as a police dog.

In her place, a newly certified 1½-year-old yellow lab, Phlirt, has stepped in, ready to use her nose to find evidence and help police fight crime.

On Wednesday, Police Commission members held a retirement ceremony and badge pinning, during which they recognized Fina’s service while welcoming Phlirt into the Police Department.

Phlirt became certified as a narcotics police canine through the Working Dog Foundation in November. She was made available by a grant from the foundation.

“She’s full of energy, this one,” said her handler, Officer Keith MacKenzie, who said Phlirt has already had successful finds since getting certified.

During the ceremony, Police Chief Mike Allen noted the importance of the K9 program in the city — he said canines locate criminals, narcotics, explosives, and missing children that police officers might not otherwise.

Allen said that for a law enforcement canine, nine years is a long career.

He said that in dog years, 10-year-old Fina must be about 70 years old.

“I can only hope I look as good as she does at 70,” he joked.

At Wednesday’s ceremony, Police Commissioner David Winship took Fina’s police badge, and transferred it to MacKenzie, who then pinned the badge on Phlirt’s collar.

At the podium at the council chambers, MacKenzie thanked Allen and retired Police Chief David Dubois for supporting the K9 program at the Police Department.

He also thanked Fina for listening to him in the cruiser over the years, and helping him look good by finding evidence that leads to arrests.

“She is the smart one, she is the one who makes me look like a rock star,” said MacKenzie.

He said that throughout her time with the Police Department, Fina — who is trained in finding narcotics, tracking suspects, and finding articles such as knives from a crime scene — has won multiple awards, including the Narcotics Case of the Year award three times, and the Patrol Case of the Year award.

Fina, a Czech shepherd, has also been nominated by the United States Police Canine Association for the National Case of the Year Award, and will be competing against three other canines nationwide for that title.

As Fina transitions to be MacKenzie’s household pet, Phlirt is getting ready to go out on police calls four to seven times a week. She will also have training sessions every Monday.

Fina, said MacKenzie, is becoming accustomed to retirement. While MacKenzie is at work, the retired canine has been spending time with his wife while she is baking, as well as taking rides in the car to drop off his daughter to school.

“My wife likes hanging out with her,” said MacKenzie.

He said his daughters, ages 6 and 2, are already having fun playing with Phlirt, as well as spending time at home with Fina and the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department bloodhound, Daisy, who also lives with the MacKenzie family.